Beer Bike is arguably the most important social event on the Rice calendar. Students call it the best day of the year or even Christmas. From the early wake-up to the Martel sundeck to the water balloon fight to the races, it is a day of celebration and a journey outside of the normal obligations of being a college student.

Although the residential college system is one of the most prominent aspects of life at Rice, the process of sorting students into colleges remains shrouded in mystery. Is it a computer program? A sorting hat? Fate?

This year, Hanszen College’s room draw ended with 17 unclaimed beds. It’s been well-established that Hanszen’s housing facilities are in dire need of upgrades, but so far Rice’s administration has largely turned a blind eye to the housing discrepancies that threaten to sully the perceived equality of the residential college system. This should be the last straw. Rice needs to make a concrete, meaningful and tangible pledge to construct a new residential building for Hanszen.

Since the announcement of Mike Pence’s visit, many students have expressed valid concerns about the vice president’s extremely misguided and hurtful views and policies on LGBTQ rights and other issues. I share these concerns and believe that we should be doing everything possible to call out and refuse bigotry and hate, especially on issues that directly threaten members of our Rice, Houston and other communities.

This Friday, will Rice President David Leebron pose for a photo with the vice president of the United States, or will he stand outside with his students? Leebron has articulated a broad set of Rice’s values, but Mike Pence’s record contrasts sharply with that set of values. To be clear, Pence has the right to speak on campus. However, in this event, Pence will be speaking unopposed to a by-invitation crowd and may pose for photo-ops with donors and administrators afterwards. Pence should have the opportunity to speak, but the structure of this event comes close to an endorsement — an endorsement that goes against the values of diversity and inclusion for which Rice has so long and rightfully advocated. Rhetoric not backed by action is meaningless. To quote Leebron in a February email to the student body:

Slurping noises introduce pop artist Billie Eilish’s new and first album, “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Giggles are accompanied by Eilish stating “I have taken out my Invisalign, and … this is the album.” Weird ASMR or Eilish having fun — the 14 second introduction sets the tone for the rest of Eilish’s album. Brooding and weird at times, the 14-track album carries an underlying taunting tone that shows Eilish is here to have fun.

After rising to fame with her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra (2016) and Hard-Knock Wife (2018), writer and comedian Ali Wong took Houston on in her sold out 2019 Milk & Money Tour. The crowd was filled with a number of pregnant women, many of them dressed up in Wong’s iconic Baby Cobra outfit—red-rimmed glasses and cheetah-print dress. This show held many firsts for me—I’d never had my phone locked away for a show before, and I’d never seen Wong, well, not pregnant.

Across the Sewall courtyard, “Inside,” a piece by architecture student Belle Carroll, appears deeply surreal, interrupting the brick and metal grating of the exterior wall with an emanation of pink light. Stepping past the threshold of the Inferno Gallery and through a gaping opening that runs almost ceiling to floor places the viewer in a softly lit, organically shaped chamber of gauze. A speaker continuously plays poems and selections from “Bridges,” a musical composition by Carroll herself.

Rondelet is this weekend and since you’re already coughing up 20 bucks for each ticket, here are some ways to spare your wallet from further damage in the name of your totally cute outfit. I am perpetually broke so trust in this list, because I only included shops that I would personally visit in order to not break the bank:

Rice Women’s soccer has hired former Louisiana State University head soccer coach Brian Lee for the same position, according to a release from Rice Athletics. Last season, Lee led the Tigers to the Southeastern Conference Tournament title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Rice Graduate Student Association President Jason Guo recently led a multi-university graduate student coalition in penning a letter in support of the rights of international graduate students to study in the United States.

Beer Bike is a full-blown cultural phenomenon, and with that comes a diversity of choices for style. But when forced to wear the same shirt as 300 of your friends, setting yourself apart with a unique look on Beer Bike morning can seem difficult. However, being extra in every manner — from dyeing your hair to cutting up your shirt — is acceptable if not encouraged on this special holiday. Here are some fashion trends to follow:

Anita Hill, a law professor who gave sexual harassment testimony against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, discussed sexual misconduct in the workplace and how to shift this from a personal to a public issue in a visit to Rice on Monday.